I have come to hate the term "senior moment". Over many years we hear it's natural for memory to gradually worsen as we age. Barring disease or injury there's no reason why age should have a thing to do with remembering where your keys are. Everyone at every age has memory lapses from time to time. It's not until you get older that memory lapse becomes "natural" or as an MD I know put it "an accepted part of aging". Sorry Doc, I'm not accepting it.
First up, there are those of us that are better at remembering than others. For those looking to improve there are tons of exercises which will help to a degree. But the problem as I see it is that memory exercises don't address one important fact. Our subconscious mind after years of unconscious training still believes it is "normal" to be forgetful after a certain age. Unfortunately no amount of rhyming or visualization exercises (which can become quite monotonous) will change this core unconscious belief.
This is where subliminal messaging comes in. A subliminal message is any piece of information we receive without us consciously being aware of it. The message then becomes stored in your mind as a normal thought. Audio subliminal messages are recorded at a frequency just beyond normal hearing. We don't actually hear the message - but our mind is absorbing it just the same.
Audio subliminal messages will not help you find your lost keys. What they will do is gradually change your inner beliefs about memory loss being normal. The mind is a very powerful thing. As it begins to accept the message that your memory is completely normal, forgetfulness and senior moments will slowly become a thing of the past. Combined with some simple memory exercises this can be a very powerful combination.
I have been using subliminal audio for some time and firmly believe in it's power to change ingrained thought patterns. While they are not a magic bullet,they are an excellent tool. After experimenting with a few companies I have found one which consistently seems to give the best results. Their products are inexpensive and are available as instant MP3 downloads. They can be listened to on the computer, personal MP3 player, or burned on to CD's. I use them when driving, during household chores, and occasionally before going to sleep. This stuff really does work.
The company I purchase these from is Subliminal MP3s. A direct link to their memory MP3 is here. For the really skeptical they also offer three free MP3 downloads to try them out. Give them a try - you may be pleasantly surprised.
5.1.11
Age Discrimination Tips for Older Job Seekers
In 1967 the federal government passed the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) to prohibit age discrimination in workers age 40 and over. The act was developed to protect the pre-employment rights of individuals as well as those already in the workforce from discrimination due to age. While ADEA along with many individual state laws have made some impact on age related employment issues, older job seekers will continue to find resistance from potential employers. The reality is that given similar qualifications many employers will hire the 28 year old over the 55 year old.
It is important up front for the senior job seeker to understand a potential employers motives for age discrimination. Unlike many other forms of discrimination in our society, age related discrimination is not so much the result of personal prejudice as it is a belief that older workers may have a negative effect on the company bottom line. A potential employer may unconciously ask him/herself a few of the following questions:
It is important up front for the senior job seeker to understand a potential employers motives for age discrimination. Unlike many other forms of discrimination in our society, age related discrimination is not so much the result of personal prejudice as it is a belief that older workers may have a negative effect on the company bottom line. A potential employer may unconciously ask him/herself a few of the following questions:
- Is it worth hiring / training someone who may be retiring in 5-10 years?
- Can the candidate "keep up" with our current staff / demands?
- Would the company be better served in hiring a much younger employee at a lower salary?
- Is the employee likely to have / acquire medical issues which will affect productivity?
- Is the candidate going to be stuck doing things the "old way" …. will they accept training?
- How will the applicant "fit in" with our team?
These are just a few things that a possible employer may be looking at. Another issue which I have had personal experience with is a fear on the part of usually younger middle managers that you may be a threat to their job position. This comes into play when you find yourself interviewed by someone holding a position that you may have held in the past.
It may be helpful to try and put yourself into the interviewer’s position and ask yourself a few of the above questions prior to your interview. Though it is unlikely you will be asked them directly think through how you would respond if you were. Remember that the interviewer, be it human resources personnel or a senior manager , is motivated to find the best match for the available position. They need to show their bosses that they made the “right” choice for the company. Understanding their concerns ahead of time may give a small but necessary edge to the older job seeker.
There are hundreds of websites with very good tips to get through the interview process and they should be researched and followed. Unfortunately most don’t deal with the potential for age discrimination issues. I have found one book titled Defeating Age Discrimination to Maximize Your Job Search which I recommend to anyone over 50 and venturing into the job marked.
I will be posting further articles regarding age discrimination in the future as I personally feel this is a much, much larger issue than the media would have us believe.
28.12.10
The Jitterbug J - Cell Phones for Seniors
The Jitterbug from Great Call was billed as the original "keep it simple" cell phone for seniors. An easy to use no frills phone for those whose hearing and sight might not be quite what it was 20 years ago. Last spring Great Call rolled out their latest incarnation of the Jitterbug known as the Jitterbug J. Made by Samsung, the newest version keeps all of the features which made the original immensely popular while adding a few extras for those who desire just a bit more.
As with the original, the Jitterbug features a bright color screen with a large font size, a large easy to use keypad, soft hearing aid friendly earpad, simple "yes" or "no" prompts, and a powerful speaker. A 24 hour live operator is available for directory assistance or to help in connecting calls by simply dialing "0". The "J" model adds simple text messaging availability and Bluetooth compatability (great for wireless headsets). The phone is also caller ID and speakerphone enabled.
The phone (as of this writing) is priced at $99 and is available in several colors. No service contracts are required and basic services include nationwide calls with no long distance or roaming fees. Great Call offers a large number of monthly pricing plans which are dependent on use. The least expensive plan is $14.99 per month for 50 minutes of use. In addition a number of extra services such as 24/7 access to a registered nurse, medication reminder calls, and "check-in" calls are available. A Daily Health Tips text message and MyCalendar feature are free with the service.
The Jitterbug J remains an excellent cell phone choice for seniors who simply want to keep in touch without the hassles of long term contracts or prepaid plans. To learn more about the Jitterbug,click here.
As with the original, the Jitterbug features a bright color screen with a large font size, a large easy to use keypad, soft hearing aid friendly earpad, simple "yes" or "no" prompts, and a powerful speaker. A 24 hour live operator is available for directory assistance or to help in connecting calls by simply dialing "0". The "J" model adds simple text messaging availability and Bluetooth compatability (great for wireless headsets). The phone is also caller ID and speakerphone enabled.
The phone (as of this writing) is priced at $99 and is available in several colors. No service contracts are required and basic services include nationwide calls with no long distance or roaming fees. Great Call offers a large number of monthly pricing plans which are dependent on use. The least expensive plan is $14.99 per month for 50 minutes of use. In addition a number of extra services such as 24/7 access to a registered nurse, medication reminder calls, and "check-in" calls are available. A Daily Health Tips text message and MyCalendar feature are free with the service.
The Jitterbug J remains an excellent cell phone choice for seniors who simply want to keep in touch without the hassles of long term contracts or prepaid plans. To learn more about the Jitterbug,click here.
22.12.10
Social Security - The Check is Not in the Mail
Since passage of the Debt Collection Improvement Act in 1996 the government has been working toward electronic delivery of all government checks. Plans have now been finalized for the phasing out of paper checks to social security recipients. It is expected that the changes will save Social Security over $1 billion dollars over the next ten years.
Under the plan, those applying for benefits on or after May 1, 2011 will be required to receive electronic payments through direct deposit. Those that don't have a bank account or prefer using a credit card have the option of using a prepaid Direct Express Debit MasterCard account which is issued by Comerica Bank. Acccording to government sources the account is structured in such a way that it may be used at no cost to the recipient.
Those currently enrolled will need to switch to an electronic payment option by March1, 2013. Current check receiving recipients over the age of 90 are exempt from the requirement and may continue receiving paper checks if they choose.
In a related rule, the Treasury Department is expected in 2011 to protect benefit payments from garnishment after they are electronically deposited.
To promote the new rules and ease in the transition the government has set up a website at: http://www.godirect.org/
Under the plan, those applying for benefits on or after May 1, 2011 will be required to receive electronic payments through direct deposit. Those that don't have a bank account or prefer using a credit card have the option of using a prepaid Direct Express Debit MasterCard account which is issued by Comerica Bank. Acccording to government sources the account is structured in such a way that it may be used at no cost to the recipient.
Those currently enrolled will need to switch to an electronic payment option by March1, 2013. Current check receiving recipients over the age of 90 are exempt from the requirement and may continue receiving paper checks if they choose.
In a related rule, the Treasury Department is expected in 2011 to protect benefit payments from garnishment after they are electronically deposited.
To promote the new rules and ease in the transition the government has set up a website at: http://www.godirect.org/
20.12.10
Eye Exercises to Improve Vision in Older Adults
Over the years it has been the claim of many natural health practitioners that eyesight could be improved through the use of "eye exercises". A recent study by University of California Riverside researchers G. John Andersen, Rui Ni, Jeffrey D. Bower; and Boston University professor Takeo Watanabe have proven that they just might be on to something.
In a study funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Aging the researchers conducted a series of experiments to determine whether repeated performance of certain visual tasks could result in an improvement in the vision of older adults. The subjects, all age 65 and older, were given a series of visual perception tests that were at the limits of what one can see.
The results were somewhat startling.
According to researcher G. John Anderson,"We found that with just two days of training in one-hour sessions with difficult stimuli resulted in older subjects seeing as well as younger college-age subjects."
The improvements were well documented and were found to last for a period of at least three months. The researchers determined that the results show a high degree of brain plasticity among the elderly and suggest that this technique is useful for recovering from declines in vision due to normal aging.
Age related changes in vision such as contrast sensitivity, dark adaptation, visual acuity, spatial vision, orientation, depth perception and motion perception have been well documented in many past studies. This is the first study of its kind to demonstrate that perception training (eye exercises) can in fact be a useful tool for improving vision in the older population. The results offer great potential for millions of seniors with declining eyesight to improve their vision.
The entire study, titled "Perceptual learning, aging, and improved visual performance in early stages of visual processing" was published in the online Journal of Vision.
In a study funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Aging the researchers conducted a series of experiments to determine whether repeated performance of certain visual tasks could result in an improvement in the vision of older adults. The subjects, all age 65 and older, were given a series of visual perception tests that were at the limits of what one can see.
The results were somewhat startling.
According to researcher G. John Anderson,"We found that with just two days of training in one-hour sessions with difficult stimuli resulted in older subjects seeing as well as younger college-age subjects."
The improvements were well documented and were found to last for a period of at least three months. The researchers determined that the results show a high degree of brain plasticity among the elderly and suggest that this technique is useful for recovering from declines in vision due to normal aging.
Age related changes in vision such as contrast sensitivity, dark adaptation, visual acuity, spatial vision, orientation, depth perception and motion perception have been well documented in many past studies. This is the first study of its kind to demonstrate that perception training (eye exercises) can in fact be a useful tool for improving vision in the older population. The results offer great potential for millions of seniors with declining eyesight to improve their vision.
The entire study, titled "Perceptual learning, aging, and improved visual performance in early stages of visual processing" was published in the online Journal of Vision.
19.12.10
Social Security Tax Breaks - Beginning of the End?
The Obama tax cut legislation signed on December 17th not only provides windfall profits for the very rich but endangers the social safety net for millions in our society who most need it. Under the plan, social security taxes will decrease 2%, lowering the tax paid by workers from the current 6.2% to 4.2%. The government is in essence cutting the revenue stream for social security by about $120 millon dollars. The tax break is in effect for one year with the government making up the shortfall from the general fund.
While this will put a few dollars in the pockets of the working class, it will hardly make a dent in our our rapidly faltering economy. As for only being in effect for one year - well, we all know how that goes. After any tax break has been in place for a period of time an attempt to repeal or deny extension tends to appear as a tax increase to the general public. Not very popular politically.
Social security since its inception has largely been a pay as you go system, with one generation paying out benefits to the previous generation. It has never been a federal budgetary issue. The huge danger in this legislation is that social security (which contrary to some views is in fact solvent) must now rely to some degree on the general fund. As such the program must compete politically with hundreds of other programs also financed from the general fund. This opens the door wide for future benefit cuts to make up any social security deficit.
To quote Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, "You're talking about the beginning of the end for Social Security."
While this will put a few dollars in the pockets of the working class, it will hardly make a dent in our our rapidly faltering economy. As for only being in effect for one year - well, we all know how that goes. After any tax break has been in place for a period of time an attempt to repeal or deny extension tends to appear as a tax increase to the general public. Not very popular politically.
Social security since its inception has largely been a pay as you go system, with one generation paying out benefits to the previous generation. It has never been a federal budgetary issue. The huge danger in this legislation is that social security (which contrary to some views is in fact solvent) must now rely to some degree on the general fund. As such the program must compete politically with hundreds of other programs also financed from the general fund. This opens the door wide for future benefit cuts to make up any social security deficit.
To quote Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, "You're talking about the beginning of the end for Social Security."
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